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Articles in the
Growth Stages section are divided into three groups: 0-2 Years, 3-5
Years, 6-12
Years Articles
for teens 13-18 years will be found in our Teen
Spot section.
The following articles will provide information
for each age group as specified. Subject matter
will range from breastfeeding for the 0-2 years
category to bullying in the 6-12 years category.
Go to each section by clkicking these links:
0-2 Years (see below) » 3-5
Years » 6-12
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Medicine
- Do not tell your child the medicine is candy. Children may mistakenly overdose on medications when the parents are out of the room, if they think it is candy.
- If your child has trouble swallowing pills, consult with the doctor as to whether the medication can be crushed and mixed with food such as applesauce.
- Never tell your child that the medicine does not taste bad, if it really does.
- Never give any medications without consulting a doctor.
Temperature
- Under 5 or 6 years, take the child’s temperature in the arm pit. This usually takes four minutes.
- After 5 or 6 years of age, the child should be able to hold the thermometer under their tongues for two minutes. They should not talk or open their mouths while their temperature is being taken.
Fever
- Fever is the body’s sign that it is fighting an infection.
- Make sure your child drinks plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration.
- Never give your child aspirin to reduce the fever. Use a non-aspirin medicine such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- If the child’s temperature is over 103° and you cannot get it down; the fever is accompanied by a stiff neck, headache and vomiting; the child is having difficulty breathing, or the child is vomiting and/or has diarrhea, contact his doctor.
Hunger
- Many times children are not hungry when they are sick. Do not force them to eat, but make sure they get plenty of liquids to prevent dehydration. If they are not eating or drinking, consult with your doctor.
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When Your Child Gets Sick
When your child is sick, remain calm and try to assess whether you need to take her to the doctor or not. Below are guidelines on what to do and not do when your child is sick.
If you are not sure whether you need to take your child to the doctor, do not worry about looking silly or over-reactive. It is better to take her and it not be necessary, than to not take her and have something emergent overlooked.
Remain calm and positive
- Your child will react to your emotions regarding their illness. Try to stay calm and have a positive attitude so that your child does not become scared or worried.
Explanation and Reassurance
- Give age appropriate explanations as to why they are sick, what is causing their symptoms, etc. and reassure them that they will feel better soon.
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- How do you support breast feeding efforts and difficulties?
- How much developmental guidance do you provide at each visit?
- How comfortable are you in helping us with any behavioral problems that may arise?
- What’s your advice about working and parenting?
- How well do you know the infant and toddler programs in the community?
While you’re visiting, observe if the waiting area is clean, bright, colorful, playful, safe and calm. Get a sense for how much the staff enjoy their work with children. Note, also how interested the doctor is to ask you questions about yourselves, your health, your pregnancy and your expectations about your child.
Having already started a comfortable relationship with your pediatrician, you will feel more relaxed and confident about approaching childbirth and the life-long devotion of parenting. Best wishes.
Courtesy of Peter A. Gorski, M.D., M.P.A., Director of Program Impact and Innovation at the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County and Professor of Public Health, Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
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Choosing a Pediatrician
Some time during your pregnancy, make an appointment to meet with one or more pediatricians in their offices. Ask you friends, relations or obstetrician to identify individuals they know and respect. The prenatal pediatric visit gives you a chance to get an impression of the office setting, including the waiting area, to learn about the availability of the individual doctor or the group in an emergency, to ask about their philosophy and support for certain feeding and child care practices, to discover the doctor’s (and the staff’s) special medical interests and expertise in child behavior and development, and to see how the doctor blends with your own style and personality.
During a 15-20 minutes interview, plan to ask the doctor the following questions:
- When are your office hours? (Do they fit with my own schedule?)
- Whom can we see after office hours?
- When can I reach you and your staff by telephone?
- How much time do you schedule for office visits?
- What hospital do you use when children need urgent or complex care?
- How frequently do you schedule well child visits in the first year?
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Mumps
» A contagious
viral disease
» Spread through
sneezing or coughing droplets, or drinking after
an infected person
» Symptoms may
include fever, headache, loss of appetite, and swelling
and pain of the parotid glands in the neck
» Complications
are not common, but rare complications include encephalitis
and meningitis
» Prevention can
be attained through immunization which is given
to children in combination with a measles and rubella
vaccine (MMR) between 12 and 15 months of age and
a booster between 4 and 6 years of age
Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
» A bacterial
infection of the respiratory system
» Spread through
sneezing or coughing droplets from an infected person
» Symptoms include
runny nose, sneezing, fever, and coughing spells
in which the child’s face may turn red or
purple and may make a whooping sound
» Complications
may include pneumonia, ear infection, seizures or
dehydration and may be life-threatening for children
under 6 months of age
» Prevention can
be attained with the pertussis vaccine which is
given in conjunction with the diphtheria and tetanus
vaccine. Four shots are given before the age of
18 months, then a booster shot between the ages
of four and six years
Pneumococcal disease
» An acute bacterial
infection
» Spread through
person-to-person contact via respiratory droplets
» Symptoms may
include fever, cough, chest pain, chills, dyspnea
(shortness of breath), tachypnea (rapid breathing),
or hypoxia (poor oxygenation
» Complications
my include pneumococcal pneumonia, pneumococcal
bacteremia, or bacterial meningitis
» Prevention can
be attained with a vaccination for children under
two years of age – three doses at 2, 4, and
6 months of age and a fourth at 12-15 months of
age
Polio
» A highly contagious
viral disease that can damage the central nervous
system and result in abortive polio (mild form),
nonparalytic form or the most serious paralytic
polio
» Spread through
the mouth from hands contaminated with the stool
of an infected person or contaminated objects such
as eating utensils
» Symptoms may
include headache, tiredness, fever, stiff neck and
back, and muscle pain for abortive and nonparalytic
polio. Symptoms for paralytic polio include muscle
weakness, fever, stiffness, tremor, muscle pain
and spasms, and difficulty swallowing
» Complications
include paralysis of the legs, breathing muscles,
and swallowing muscles. Can be fatal when involving
the breathing and swallowing muscles
» Prevention is
attained by injecting children with inactivated
polio vaccine (IPV) at ages 2 and 4 months, then
two doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV) at 12-18 months
and 4-6 years
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
» The most common
cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia among infants
and children under 1 year of age
Symptoms include fever, runny nose, cough, and sometimes
wheezing
» Spread through
contact with infected persons or contaminated surfaces
from sneezing or coughing
» There is no
vaccine available yet
Rheumatic Fever
» An inflammatory
disease which may develop after an infection with
streptococcus bacteria, such as strep throat
» Common symptoms
include fever, joint pain, joint swelling, abdominal
pain, skin rash, shortness of breath, sore throat,
headache, and muscle aches
» Treatment includes
the use of anti-inflammatory medications and antibiotics.
» Complications
may include heart valve damage, endocarditis, heart
failure, arrhythmias, or pericarditis
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Common Illnesses and Symptoms
We are exposed to numerous viruses
and bacterium every day. Many of the diseases caused
by these viruses and bacterium can be prevented
through vaccination. In this section we discuss
both vaccine preventable and non-preventable diseases.
It is important that we immunize our children against
the diseases for which we have vaccines.
Chicken Pox
» An acute and
highly contagious viral illness usually occurring
in childhood
» Symptoms include
a rash and blisters filled with fluid, mild fever,
sore throat, and headache
» Chickenpox is
transmitted through the air when an infected person
sneezes or coughs.
» Contagious period
is from 2 days before onset of the rash until all
lesions have crusted
» Immunization
will help prevent catching chickenpox in 70% to
90% of the cases
» Anyone having
chickenpox as a child is at risk to develop shingles
as an adult
Diphtheria
» A very contagious
and potentially life-threatening bacterial disease
» Spread by sneezing,
coughing, or discharges from an infected person’s
nose, mouth, throat, or skin
» Symptoms include
a sore throat, mild fever, and enlarged lymph glands
on the neck
» Complications
can include damage to heart muscles, paralysis of
breathing muscles, blocked airway, or death
» Prevention can
be attained by immunization which is normally given
to children in combination with the tetanus and
pertussis vaccines (DPT). Four shots are given before
the age of 18 months, then a booster shot between
the ages of four and six years
Haemophilus influenzae
type b (Hib)
» A bacterial
illness that can cause a possible fatal brain infection
» Spread by sneezing
or coughing of droplets from an infected person
» Symptoms include
developing meningitis (fever, weakness, vomiting
and a stiff neck)
» Complications
include meningitis, infections to the lungs,
blood, bones, throat, and heart resulting in brain
damage or death
» Prevention can
be attained by immunization to children beginning
at age 2 months
Hepatitis
A
» A viral infection
which affects the liver
» Spread by poor
hygiene and ingestion of feces
» Symptoms may
include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea,
fever and jaundice
» Complications
include liver disease
» Prevention can
be attained by immunization
Hepatitis B
» A viral infection
which affects the liver
» Spread through
sexual contact, exposure to infected blood, or from
an infected mother to her baby at the time of birth
» Symptoms may
include fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea,
fever and jaundice
» Complications
include cirrhosis (severe scarring) of the liver
or liver cancer
» Prevention can
be attained by immunization
Measles
» A highly contagious
viral respiratory infection
» Spread through
sneeze or cough droplets from an infected person
» Symptoms include
a body rash, cough, runny nose, high fever and watery
red eyes
» Complications
may include bronchitis, pneumonia, conjunctivitis,
encephalitis, or ear infections
» Prevention can
be attained through immunization which is given
to children in combination with a mumps and rubella
vaccine (MMR) between 12 and 15 months of age and
a booster between 4 and 6 years of age
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